Cognitive Narratology & Framing
The Metaphor Atlas
Metaphors are not ornamental poetic flourishes; they are foundational cognitive operating systems that structure human reasoning, policy, and interpersonal conflict.
Conceptual Metaphor Mapping (Lakoff & Johnson)
ARGUMENT IS WAR
WAR & MILITARY COMBATINTELLECTUAL DISCOURSE & DEBATE
Everyday Linguistic Expressions
“He attacked every weak point in my argument”
Entailment: An argument is a physical fortification under artillery siege.
“Her criticisms were right on target”
Entailment: Critique is a projectile designed to inflict lethal damage.
“I demolished his position”
Entailment: Opponent's viewpoint is a destroyed physical structure.
“He shot down all my claims”
Entailment: Ideas are aerial combatants subject to anti-aircraft fire.
What the Metaphor Imports
- • There must be an absolute victor and a humiliated loser.
- • Any concession or qualification is a strategic vulnerability.
- • The goal of dialogue is conquest rather than shared synthesis.
What the Metaphor Occludes (Hides)
- • Collaborative truth-seeking where both parties gain new insight.
- • Nuance, paradox, and mutually compatible perspectives.
- • The value of changing one's mind in response to superior evidence.
Theoretical Source: George Lakoff & Mark Johnson, 'Metaphors We Live By' (1980), Chapter 1.